1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to X-Y plotters, and more particularly to an adaptor for accommodating a universal plotter pen to the several different types of X-Y plotter mechanisms that are commercially available.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
A preliminary patentability and novelty search through Class 33, sub-classes 18.1, 32.3, 44, and 1m; and Class 346, subclasses 139 and all Alfas has revealed the existence of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,489,333, 4,577,409 and 4,673,954.
Additional patents known to exist include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,550,276; 3,686,681; 3,880,294 and 4,288,798.
While these patents appear to be of academic interest, none appear to deal directly with the question of an adaptor or adaptors that accommodate a single universal pen to the multiple types of plotting mechanisms that are available on the commercial market.
It has generally been the practice of major manufacturers of X-Y plotting equipment to design their own plotter pens that are dedicated to their particular X-Y plotter mechanisms. There has thus resulted in the industry a multiplicity of X-Y plotter mechanisms and a multiplicity of plotter pen designs, specific ones of these many different plotter pen designs being dedicated to the many different types of X-Y plotter mechanisms. Two companies, namely, Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph, Inc., and Dia-Nielsen USA, Inc. appear to be involved in the design of liquid ink pens, while J.S. Staedtler, Inc. and Dia-Nielsen USA, Inc. appear to be involved in the production of plotter pens and adaptors. For instance, J.S. Staedtler, Inc. advertises the following adaptors for use with plotter mechanisms produced by the manufacturers tabulated below:
______________________________________ Calif. Comp. Prods., Inc. Hewlett-Packard Houston Instument ______________________________________ 75PL 03H10 75PL 07H1 75PL 03H10 75PL 05H 75PL 07H2 75PL 07H3 ______________________________________
So far as I have been able to determine, all of these adaptors are screw-type having internal threads that threadably engage complementary threads on the plotter pen, thus requiring a twisting action or relative rotational displacement between adaptor and plotter pen for engagement of the adaptor on the pen.
Several companies, including California Computer Products, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Inc., and Houston Instrument, Inc. appear to be significantly involved in connection with the manufacture of X-Y plotter mechanisms, while other companies, such as Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph, Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. are believed to also be represented in the industry.
Accordingly, one of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a set of adaptors that will accommodate the configuration of a universally applicable plotter pen to any of these X-Y plotter mechanisms now available on the commercial market or which might be available in the future.
Because each of the X-Y plotter mechanisms that may be purchased commercially possesses its own idiosyncrasies, it is important that any adaptor that be designed to accommodate a universal pen for that X-Y plotter, incorporate means by which the adaptor may be simply and quickly modified to accommodate manufacturing discrepancies in the universal pen which might otherwise prevent accommodation of the adaptor and pen in a particular plotter. Accordingly, another important object of the invention is to provide an adaptor incorporating such means for quick and easy modification to accommodate idiosyncrasies in either the X-Y plotter mechanism or discrepancies in the configuration of the universal pen.
It has been my observation that all of the adaptors that are presently on the market incorporate screw threads in one way or another to join the plotter pen to the adaptor, thus requiring a twisting action or a relative rotation between the adaptor and the plotter pen to engage the plotter pen in the adaptor. Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide an adaptor that will accept a universal plotter pen merely by the imposition of oppositely directed axial forces imposed on the pen and adaptor until the pen is appropriately seated in the adaptor.
Another object is the provision of a plotter pen adaptor which provides a visual indication when the plotter pen is appropriately seated in the adaptor.
Heretofore, with conventional adaptors and plotter pens, it has been necessary to utilize a twisting action, or relative rotation between the adaptor and the plotter pen, to remove a plotter pen from the adaptor. Accordingly, a still further object of the present invention is to provide an adaptor from which the plotter pen may be removed simply by the imposition of oppositely directed axial forces on the plotter pen and adaptor.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of one or more adaptors which may accommodate a universally configured and dimensioned plotter pen simply through frictional engagement between selected inner peripheral portions of the adaptor and the exterior surface of the universal plotter pen.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of an adaptor, or a set of adaptors, that are inexpensive to manufacture yet are extremely accurate and reliable in their dimensional stability.
The invention posseses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.